What kind of plant is chickweed?
See Article History. Chickweed, species of small-leaved weeds of the pink, or carnation, family (Caryophyllaceae). The common chickweed, or stitchwort (Stellaria media), is native to Europe but is widely naturalized.
Is chickweed grass an invasive species?
Chickweed grass is an invasive species in North America, with the scientific name Stellaria media. It’s a member of the plant family Caryophyllaceae. It immigrated to America along with European settlers and began to spread throughout the continent, where it became one of the most common weeds on American lawns.
Is chickweed the same as Stellaria?
There are several closely related plants referred to as chickweed, but which lack the culinary properties of plants in the genus Stellaria. Plants in the genus Cerastium are very similar in appearance to Stellaria and are in the same family (Caryophyllaceae).
What is the difference between stitchwort and chickweed?
Both species of chickweed have inconspicuous but delicate, white, somewhat star-shaped flowers. The common chickweed, or stitchwort ( Stellaria media ), is native to Europe but is widely naturalized. It usually grows to 45 cm (18 inches) but becomes a low-growing and spreading annual weed in mowed lawns.
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What is the common name of chickweed?
Common chickweed (Stellaria media)Common Name:Common chickweedScientific Name:Stellaria mediaFamily:Caryophyllaceae (Pink)Duration:Annual, PerennialHabit:Herbs1 more row
What family is chickweed in?
PinksChickweed / FamilyCaryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactaceae, and Polygonaceae. Wikipedia
Why is it called chickweed?
Also, chickweed is not an early riser: The blossoms open late in the morning. And it's called chickweed because chickens love it. There are some reasonably close look-alikes, but three things separates chickweed from poisonous pretenders.
What family is Stellaria in?
PinksStellariace...Chickweeds/FamilyStellaria media, chickweed, is an annual and perennial flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to Eurasia and naturalized throughout the world.
What is chickweed good for?
Chickweed is a plant. The leaf is used to make medicine. People take chickweed for constipation, stomach and bowel problems, blood disorders, asthma and other lung diseases, obesity, a vitamin C deficiency disease called scurvy, a skin condition called psoriasis, rabies, itching, and muscle and joint pain.
Is all chickweed edible?
Every aboveground part of the chickweed—stem, leaf, bud, and flower—is edible, but you will want to be somewhat selective in harvesting because only the top inch or two of the stem is ideal for eating.
Why do dogs eat chickweed?
Internal use: lymph stimulant, anti-tumor, digestive support, anti-inflammatory, prebiotic. Excellent alternative to calendula in the summer as chickweed is cooling.
What part of chickweed is edible?
The whole plant, except the roots, is delicious. Eaten raw, it tastes like corn-on-the-cob, or like cornsilk. Cooked, it's more like spinach. Always chop the entire plant, except the roots, into bite-sized pieces before using it.
What does chickweed tea taste like?
Not only does chickweed taste fresh and grassy--some people liken it to the flavor of corn silk--it's also loaded with good stuff for our bodies. Folklore stories hail it as a kidney and liver cleanse.
Are there different types of chickweed?
There are two chickweeds (Stellaria media and Cerastium fontanum) that are virtually indistinguishable unless closely examined. Both are mat-forming, in the Caryophyllaceae family, and occur in many countries.
Is chickweed an invasive plant?
Common chickweed is a weedy, invasive plant that grows in open, disturbed locations like gardens, roadsides, and agricultural fields.
What is Stellaria cream used for?
Description. Stellaria (also known as chickweed) is traditionally used for contact dermatitis, eczema, itchy skin, insect bites, psoriasis, rashes and red skin, amongst other ailments. This is an unscented cream that is suitable for use on all skin types.
Is chickweed in the ragweed family?
Description. Chickweed (Stellaria media ) is a member of the Caryophyllaceae, or carnation, family.
Are there different types of chickweed?
There are two chickweeds (Stellaria media and Cerastium fontanum) that are virtually indistinguishable unless closely examined. Both are mat-forming, in the Caryophyllaceae family, and occur in many countries.
Why do dogs eat chickweed?
Internal use: lymph stimulant, anti-tumor, digestive support, anti-inflammatory, prebiotic. Excellent alternative to calendula in the summer as chickweed is cooling.
Is chickweed a monocot or dicot?
DicotCommon Name(s):ChickweedFlower Arrangement:CymeLeaf Type:SimpleLeaf Arrangement:OppositeMonocot/Dicot:Dicot14 more rows
What is chickweed used for?
This species is used as a cooling herbal remedy, and grown as a vegetable crop and ground cover for both human and poultry consumption. It is sometimes called common chickweed to distinguish it from other plants called chickweed. Other common names include chickenwort, craches, maruns, and winterweed.
What is the name of the yellow shell moth?
The larvae of the European moth yellow shell ( Camptogramma bilineata ), of North American moths pale-banded dart ( Agnorisma badinodis) or dusky cutworm ( Agrotis venerabilis ), or North American butterfly dainty sulphur ( Nathalis iole) all feed on chickweed. It is susceptible to downy mildew caused by the oomycete species Peronospora alsinearum.
Where is the sage plant found?
In both Europe and North America this plant is common in gardens, fields, and disturbed grounds where it grows as a ground cover.
What is chickweed?
Chickweed is a common plant, particularly throughout Europe and North America. This low-growing annual has a thin hairy stem with pointed oval leaves. It produces small, white, star-shaped flowers throughout much of the year.
Is chickweed edible?
Chickweed extract has been used internally as a demulcent, but is more typically used externally for the treatment of rashes and sores. The young shoots are edible and have been used as salad greens. In homeopathy, the plant is used to relieve rheumatic pains and psoriasis.
Is chickweed good for asthma?
Chickweed is noted as a folk remedy for many conditions, including asthma, blood disorders, conjunctivitis, constipation, inflammation, dyspepsia, skin ailments, and obesity. There is no indication that any of the plant's constituents possess therapeutic activity.
What is chickweed?
Chickweed ( Stellaria media (Linn.) Villars) — also called starweed, satin flower, or mouse-ear — is a common weed in the carnation family. It grows low to the ground, has a hairy stem, and produces small, star-shaped, white flowers.
What is chickweed in the carnation family?
Chickweed ( Stellaria media (Linn.) Villars) — also called starweed, satin flower, or mouse-ear — is a common weed in the carnation family. It grows low to the ground, has a hairy stem, and produces small, star-shaped, white flowers.
How to use chickweed for itchiness?
Apply directly to your skin. The whole chickweed plant may be applied directly to irritated skin to reduce inflammation. You can also find chickweed salves or ointments that can be used to soothe bug bites, burns, cuts, and itchiness, as they’re said to have a cooling and drying effect on the skin.
Why is chickweed good for you?
Chickweed has long been used for healing and soothing purposes, such as reducing inflammation and fighting germs. It may also promote weight maintenance and act as an expectorant when you’re sick.
How to make chickweed oil?
To make infused chickweed oil, chop 2 cups (100 grams) of fresh chickweed leaves and leave them on your countertop to wilt for about 24 hours. Then, combine the leaves with 1 1/4 cups (270 grams) of coconut oil in a blender until smooth. Heat this mixture in a double boiler until it’s warmed through.
What are the nutrients in chickweed?
Chickweed contains many plant compounds — including phytosterols, tocopherols, triterpene saponins, flavonoids, and vitamin C — that may be responsible for its benefits ( 1, 2 ).
Can chickweed be steeped in hot water?
Chickweed leaves can be steeped in hot water to make a tea that potentially relieves pain, reduces inflammation, and provides calming, soothing effects.
What is chickweed used for?
The leaf is used to make medicine. Chickweed is used for stomach and bowel problems, lung diseases, wounds and skin ulcers, joint pain , and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. In foods, chickweed is eaten in salads or served as cooked greens.
What are the health problems that chickweed can cause?
Asthma and other lung diseases. Stomach and bowel problems. Obesity. Scaly, itchy skin ( psoriasis ). Muscle and joint pain. Skin conditions including boils, abscesses, and ulcers, when applied directly to the skin. Wounds. Other conditions. More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of chickweed for these uses.
Is chickweed safe for pregnant women?
Pregnancy and breast -feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if chickweed is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Is chickweed safe to eat?
When taken by mouth: Chickweed is LIKELY SAFE when eaten in the amounts found in foods. There isn't enough reliable information to know if chickweed is safe to use in larger, medicinal amounts.
Does chickweed help with scurvy?
There isn't enough information to know how chickweed might work. While some people try chickweed for a vitamin C deficiency disease called scurvy, the amount of vitamin C in chickweed is too small to be effective.
What is the nickname for chickweed?
Chickenwort: This nickname comes from the fact that chickweed is a favorite snack for chickens.
What Is Chickweed Grass?
Chickweed grass is an invasive species in North America, with the scientific name Stellaria media. It’s a member of the plant family Caryophyllaceae. It immigrated to America along with European settlers and began to spread throughout the continent, where it became one of the most common weeds on American lawns.
How to prevent chickweed from growing in lawn?
Aeration and seeding: Proper aeration and seeding promote the growth of desirable plants while reducing weed growth. The process creates a thick shield of healthy lawn growth, resulting in unfavorable conditions for chickweed and similar weeds. For the best results, hire a professional aeration and seeding service .
How tall does chickweed grow?
Its long leaves form a teardrop shape, coming to a point at the end. Most of the time, the plant grows no taller than 2 inches, but it can reach 4 or 6 inches if it has access to shade and space. Its little white flowers have five petals, divided in half to look like 10 petals.
Can you use broadleaf weed killer on chickweed?
You can also kill chickweed with standard broadleaf weed killers. Keep in mind, treating your lawn with herbicides can have negative environmental impacts. Herbicides can also be dangerous if not applied correctly for the plants and animals you do want on your lawn. It’s better to err on the side of caution and seek a professional, organic weed control service .
Is chickweed a grazing food?
As its name suggests, chickweed is a grazing food for chickens and other birds. It’s edible for many animals, including humans, though eating too much can cause side effects in some. Chickweed is problematic for homeowners, as it takes over lawns and gardens and creates a haven for insects and plant viruses.
Can chickweed be infested?
If you’ve stepped outside in America during late winter or early spring, there’s a good chance you’ve come across chickweed. This invasive weed is one of the biggest nuisances lawn owners and gardeners face each year. It germinates and spreads so fast, chickweed could infest your lawn before you realize it. It brings along with it unwanted pests, so it’s important to know how to get rid of chickweed.
What Is Chickweed?
The herb called chickweed ( Stellaria media ), also sometimes referred to as common chickweed, is a plant native to Europe that’s used for several medicinal purposes. There are actually several different species of plants in the Stelleria genus that are called chickweed, which are members of the carnation plant family ( Caryophyllaceae).
How to identify chickweed?
Here are some tips for helping you to identify chickweed: Look for succulent stems that grow up to a foot and a half. A single line of hair grows down the middle of the stem. Chickweed also produces tiny white flowers throughout the growing season.
How to use chickweed oil for itchy skin?
There are several ways to use this plant to soothe inflamed and itchy skin, including by making a natural salve with homemade chickweed oil or adding some brewed chickweed tea or fresh juice to compresses or poultices. For astringent and cleansing effects, a tincture may also be used on the skin.
Why does chickweed help clean, moisturize and protect the skin?
Why does chickweed help clean, moisturize and protect the skin? In addition to its ability to reduce inflammation, it also contains steroidal saponins that form foam when combined with water.
What are the compounds in soapwort?
In addition to supplying you with many valuable nutrients, it also contains compounds called saponins, which studies suggest fight bacteria, inflammation and have astringent properties. (Saponins are also found in similar plants such as soapwort, which is also in the Caryophyllaceae plant family and has many similar uses.)
What are the side effects of chickweed?
What are the side effects of chickweed? Consuming it in high amounts may lead to digestive issues and other effects.
What is the name of the plant that produces white flowers?
There are actually several different species of plants in the Stelleria genus that are called chickweed, which are members of the carnation plant family ( Caryophyllaceae). The plant earned its name due to the cluster of white flowers it produces.
What is the name of the chickweed that is mat-forming?
There are two chickweeds (Stellaria media and Cerastium fontanum) that are virtually indistinguishable unless closely examined. Both are mat-forming, in the Caryophyllaceae family, and occur in many countries.
How long are chickweed leaves?
Chickweed leaves occur opposite, are toothless, stalkless, and somewhat variable in shape. Lower leaves are spatula to egg-shaped, .8 to 2.5 cm long and .6 to 1.2 cm wide, the upper leaves becoming more lance-elliptic to oblong.
How many petals does chickweed have?
They open into loose branching clusters with age on 1/2 inch hairy stalks. Each flower is about 1 cm across with 5 deeply notched white petals, usually with ten stamens with light yellow to greenish or even reddish anthers and a round green ovary in the centre with 5 filament-like styles at the top. The five sepals are about as long as the petals, lance shaped with fine, spreading hairs on the outer surface. Flower stalks are also slightly hairy; at flowering time they are erect to ascending and longer than the sepals, spreading more when fruiting.
How tall does a wild edible grow?
This tasty wild edible grows from 5 cm to 50 cm tall. The stems may be erect but typically sprawl along the ground, rooting at the nodes, with short sterile branches crowded around the base, the longer flowering branches barely ascending towards the tip.
When does chickweed bloom?
It typically blooms in early to mid spring.
Is chickweed hairy?
Flower stalks are also slightly hairy; at flowering time they are erect to ascending and longer than the sepals, spreading more when fruiting. Fields of Nutrition has medicinal benefits and vitamin/mineral content of Chickweed.
Is mouse ear chickweed edible?
This edible plant is multi-functional since its presence decreases insect damage to other plants.
Overview
Stellaria media, chickweed, is an annual and perennial flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to Eurasia and naturalized throughout the world. This species is used as a cooling herbal remedy, and grown as a vegetable crop and ground cover for both human and poultry consumption. It is sometimes called common chickweed to distinguish it from other plants called …
Description
This species is an annual in colder climates, becoming evergreen and perennial in warmer zones, with weak slender stems, up to 40 cm (16 inches). Plants are sparsely hairy. Stellaria media has one line of fine hairs on the stem. The leaves are oval and opposite, the lower ones with stalks. Flowers are white and small with five very deeply lobed petals. Some plants have no petals. There are usually three stamens and three styles. The flowers quickly form capsules. Plants may have fl…
Distribution
Stellaria media is widespread in Asia, Europe, North America, and other parts of the world. There are several closely related plants referred to as chickweed, but which lack the culinary properties of plants in the genus Stellaria.
Habitat
Stellaria media is common in lawns, meadows, waste places, and open areas.
Ecology
The larvae of the European moth yellow shell (Camptogramma bilineata), of North American moths pale-banded dart (Agnorisma badinodis) or dusky cutworm (Agrotis venerabilis), or North American butterfly dainty sulphur (Nathalis iole) all feed on chickweed. It is susceptible to downy mildew caused by the oomycete species Peronospora alsinearum.
Growth
In both Europe and North America this plant is common in gardens, fields, and disturbed grounds where it grows as a ground cover.
Uses
Stellaria media is edible and nutritious, and is used as a leaf vegetable, often raw in salads. It is one of the ingredients of the symbolic dish consumed in the Japanese spring-time festival, Nanakusa-no-sekku. Some varieties or similar species may be too fibrous to eat.
It is also eaten by chickens, wild birds, and mountain sheep.
Stellaria media contains plant chemicals known as saponins, which can be toxic to some specie…
Chemistry
The anthraquinones emodin, parietin (physcion) and questin, the flavonoid kaempferol-3,7-O-α-L-dirhamnoside, the phytosterols β-sitosterol and daucosterol, and the fatty alcohol 1-hexacosanol can be found in S. media. Other flavonoid constituents are apigenin 6-C-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-8-C-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside, apigenin 6-C-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-8-C-beta-D-galactopyranoside, apigenin 6-C-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-8-C-beta-L-arabinopyranoside, apige…